Chapter 118: You Must Deliver Justice For Me
Chapter 118: You Must Deliver Justice For Me
What\'s been happening recently?
No matter where he went, even in places where no one was visible, the Razor Leaf always seemed to be able to hit someone.
Before he could carefully examine the situation, he heard the sound of wind behind him, and a swift figure was tailing him.
"Thief! How dare you cause a mess in the Hall of Ten Thousand Beasts!"
This was a middle-aged man dressed in a long robe, with a sharp and imposing appearance. Judging by his aura, he was already at the Realm of the Five Elements!
"Hold on!" Chu Liang shouted loudly, "I am not..."
But before Chu Liang could finish speaking, the middle-aged man, with eyes flashing of ruthlessness, had already attacked with his palm.
Rumble!
As the palm descended, wind and thunder rolled, and a large mass of dark clouds rolled towards Chu Liang!
Something\'s not right.
Chu Liang\'s mind raced as he promptly discerned that there was something suspicious about this person.
If Chu Liang was from the Hall of Ten Thousand Beasts and had erroneously identified someone as a thief who had disrupted the store... If the potential culprit\'s cultivation level was much lower, Chu Liang would have felt confident enough to capture and interrogate the culprit to uncover the mastermind.
However, this person was clearly eager to attack and was almost intent on killing him! It was evident that he wanted to ensure that Chu Liang would never get the opportunity to explain!
But despite the unusual circumstances, the undeniable reality was that this pursuer was exceptionally powerful, and the force of this palm strike was unquestionably terrifying!
Chu Liang had no choice but to swiftly summon the Razor Leaf, transforming its shape instantly for defense!
Bang!
As the green light flashed, Chu Liang was already wrapped up like a zongzi. Nevertheless, the palm strike, accompanied by the black clouds, managed to break the defense of the artifact, leaving it partially deflated.
"Ugh..." Chu Liang felt agitated.
The zongzi-like Razor Leaf emitted a crackling sound, and extensive cracks began to spread. Not only had this palm attack almost destroyed Chu Liang\'s Green Leaf enchanted tool, it had inflicted injuries on Chu Liang.
He quickly deactivated the wrapping form of the Razor Leaf. The tool was mostly destroyed. At this point, the defense of the tool has become ineffective. In addition, his movements were restricted.
But what difference would it make if he were able to move?
In the face of a terrifyingly powerful fifth-realm cultivator, both escape and resistance appeared somewhat futile.
However, Chu Liang had no intention of sitting idly by. He secretly stimulated the flow of his foundational qi, preparing to muster his strongest power for a brief resistance, hoping to seize a chance for survival.
Just as the middle-aged man was about to strike with his palm for the second time, seemingly prepared to crush Chu Liang on the spot, a sudden clear and commanding female voice echoed from the distant sky.
"Second Uncle, stop!"
However, the middle-aged man paid no heed, lifting his palm once again and unleashing a thunderous force!
Whoosh!
A silvery eight-trigram formation, spanning about a dozen meters in diameter, unfolded in front of Chu Liang, just in time to block the impending strike!
Bam!
The middle-aged man\'s dark cloud giant palm slammed into the eight-trigram formation, creating ripples that layered upon each other but failed to shatter the defense.
With this slight obstruction, an elderly man with a long beard descended from the sky. Chu Liang immediately recognized him; he was the one who had injured Wenren Mo in front of the Hall of Ten Thousand Beasts during the day.
"Elder Cangxing, why are you protecting a thief?" The middle-aged man, instead of waiting, confronted him with a stern voice.
Elder Cangxing remained silent, but a crisp voice from behind sounded.
"He is not a thief!"
A figure in red clothing swiftly approached from the end of the street with her garments fluttering in the night wind like flames. Yet, her countenance felt as cold as ice.
It was Xu Hongqiu.
The middle-aged man who had consecutively attacked Chu Liang was none other than Xu Nanling, the one in charge of the Hall of Ten Thousand Beasts.
The three of them had been discussing matters in the backyard of the Hall of Ten Thousand Beasts when they suddenly heard a loud noise. The demonic beasts in the front yard had collectively fled, scattering in all directions. The members of the Hall of Ten Thousand Beasts and the law enforcement team of Taotie City immediately started capturing the fleeing demonic beasts. Meanwhile, Xu Nanling went after the supposed thief.
Sensing that something was amiss, Xu Hongqiu swiftly followed with Elder Cangxing.
They happened to witness Xu Nanling attacking Chu Liang.
"I saw him fly out of the Hall of Ten Thousand Beasts and flee all the way here. How could I be mistaken?" Xu Nanling shouted.
His furious expression suggested that he was determined to execute Chu Liang on the spot to resolve the situation.
"I do not know whether you are mistaken. However, I know that it is impossible for him to be a thief," Xu Hongqiu approached and exclaimed while looking at Chu Liang, "If it were someone else, I might have believed you. However, this person is Chu Liang, a young hero of Mount Shu!"
Huh?
Chu Liang recognized the woman as Xu Hongqiu, the Young Lady of the Whale Gang, from earlier today. Calmly assessing the situation, he speculated on the undercurrents at play between these individuals.
Yet Chu Liang was surprised to hear Xu Hongqiu suddenly mentioning his name.
"You know him?" Xu Nanling descended to the ground, stepping forward with an unfriendly gaze.
"When I was investigating the crimes of the East Whales Gang in South Gate City, I managed to uncover the secret activities because of young hero Chu," Xu Hongqiu explained.
Then she turned to Chu Liang and said softly, "On the day of Xue Lingxue\'s performance, I was also present. I witnessed Young Hero Chu interrogating the Mountain-Subjugating Marquess."
Ah, so that\'s why.
Chu Liang now understood why the old man had allowed him to enter the Hall of Ten Thousand Beasts earlier in the day. It wasn\'t that they were particularly accommodating; it was because he had helped them significantly.
While Xu Bashan and Jiang Shenting were competing with each other, he had exposed crimes committed by the East Whale Division[1]!
Upon realizing this, he responded softly, "Thank you, Miss Xu, for your timely assistance."
"Young Hero Chu has done us a great favor. I intended to find an opportunity to express our gratitude. I really didn\'t expect us to be the cause of your injury today. I hope you won\'t find fault in us." Although Xu Hongqiu maintained her cool and aloof demeanor, she spoke to Chu Liang in a relatively softer tone, especially when comparing her interactions with the others.
She turned her head once more, directing her cold expression at Xu Nanling. "Second Uncle, should the Mount Shu Sect demand accountability for this incident later, I won\'t protect you."
"Hmph," Xu Nanling snorted coldly, brushing his sleeves. "I know I did nothing wrong."
"Eh—" At that moment, Chu Liang spoke up, saying, "I happened to be outside the Hall of Ten Thousand Beasts at that time and encountered the escaped demonic beasts. I witnessed a shadow rushing out and assumed that shadow to be the thief causing this chaos. Adhering to the teachings of my sect to punish evil and promote good, I followed closely."
As he spoke, each word carried conviction, and a sense of righteousness emanated from him.
"I know this senior has been pursuing the criminal. This was merely a misunderstanding. Both of us had the goal of tracking down the thief. Since I know this, how can I ask my sect to seek accountability?"
Observing his composed demeanor and hearing his reasonable words, both Xu Hongqiu and Xu Nanling were somewhat surprised. In the cultivation world, where individuals were often assertive, encountering such a genuinely upright person was rare.
"Young Hero Chu is truly righteous and courageous. Say no more. You\'re injured; come with us to be treated for your wounds," Xu Hongqiu suggested.
"It\'s just a minor injury. Don\'t worry about it," Chu Liang waved his hand indifferently. "It would be more convenient if Miss Xu could kindly escort me to the First-Rate Sword Hut. I have some urgent tasks to do there."
"But you just coughed up blood..." Xu Hongqiu hesitated.
"Just a few drops." Chu Liang wiped it off casually, shaking his head with a light smile and displaying no concern.
"Fine then." Xu Hongqiu nodded reluctantly.
Given the short distance, she personally guided and escorted Chu Liang to the First-Rate Sword Hut in Taotie City.
Inside the First-Rate Sword Hut, Di Nufeng, who had been anticipating her disciple\'s return, received the news and emerged to welcome him.
Chu Liang finally felt a sense of relief upon seeing Di Nufeng. Despite Xu Hongqiu mentioning that the Four Seas Whale Gang owed him a favor, he refrained from acting rashly in their presence. After all, they were like a family, and he was merely a relatively powerless outsider. Even if he harbored suspicions about Xu Nanling, he wouldn\'t dare to voice them.
But now, he finally saw someone truly on his side.
In the next moment, the once calm and composed Chu Liang abruptly bent at the waist, maintaining a hunched posture. His face displayed a mix of pain and anxiety as he clutched his chest with one hand, leaning for support against the wall.
"Esteemed Teacher, I thought I would never see you again!" he cried out to Di Nufeng in a mournful tone. "You must deliver justice for me!"
1. Jiang Shenting is part of the East Whale Division so he basically helped Xu Bashan\'s re-election. ☜